The GoodBelly Blog

Good To Know: Health Benefits of Heat (Thermotherapy)

Apr26

Feelin’ hot, hot, hot – and that’s a good thing! Healing with heat, also called thermotherapy, has been used as a natural pain reliever for thousands of years. Whether it be heating pad, sauna, or hot stones, there are tons of ways in which heat can be used to heal naturally. No matter what form, heat has the incredible ability to relax muscles, enhance oxygen delivery and relieve aches. 1 How you ask? Let’s look at some ways heat saves the day.

How Heat Helps:

Relieve stress

Relieve pain

Relax muscles

Flush toxins

Increase circulation

Fight off illness

Increased cardiovascular performance 1

Forms of Thermotherapy

Sauna
Saunas have been used for centuries by many civilizations. The most well-known are the Finns. A Finnish proverb states, “The sauna is Finland’s medication and a poor man’s apothecary.” 2 The wood-lined room is heated by water being poured over hot stones. Steam increases the temperature of the room to around 100 degree F! Not surprisingly, sitting in the sauna raises body temperature, which causes blood vessels to dilate and circulation to increase, resulting in revved up healing and pain relief. Not to mention you sweat – a ton – which helps flush out toxins. To top if off, saunas encourage the release of endorphins, aid in a deeper sleep, enhance cardiovascular performance and help fight illness by stimulating the production of white blood cells. 1
Hot Stone Massage
Hot stone massages are pretty much heaven on earth. The stones are typically made of basalt, so they can better retain heat throughout the massage. Hot stone massages relieve stress by relaxing the muscles and increasing endorphin production (like saunas). With relaxed muscles, the therapist is better able to penetrate deep into your muscles, further perpetuating the benefits of a good rub down. Hot stone massages increase circulation, which helps your body flush out metabolic waste like lactic acid, the main cause of sore muscles. 3 Increased circulation also improves nutrient and oxygen delivery to tissues, making the healing process that much quicker. 4
Infrared Light Therapy
Infrared light therapy might sound like something from space, but it’s benefits are anything from “far out there.” Infrared light therapy radiates very specific wavelengths of light that our bodies perceive as heat. 5 With this type of thermotherapy, you are able to penetrate deeper with more precision into a specific area, which basically means you can get the benefits of heat without feeling hot! Infrared light therapy can help with fibromyalgia, tendinitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. 4 There is even infrared light therapy saunas.
An important fact to note is that heat should NOT be used to treat fresh injuries as too much heat can perpetuate inflammation. 4 Now get out there and feel the heat!
Sources:
1Finnleo: Health and Wellness 2BioMed Publishing Group: The History Of Saunas 3LiveStrong: Benefits of Hot Stone Massage 4Healthpedian: Thermotherapy for Treating Pain 5Dr. Whitaker: heal Your Body With Thermotherapy

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